SRD and I

[Truckinbutch]

Well , I fucked up That AG raised a cap too high in the fermenter to gather the bag top and tape to a bleeder hose . Innovation is sparked by desperation .
The simple fix was to just stretch another bag upside down over the top of the ferment vessel . Partially filled with carbon dioxide it keeps a blanket on the ferment .
When the ferment is done it will be the liner for the next ferment . Lot's less labor intensive .
Halfway through the second COB AG mash and got the last AG corn mash to rack off tomorrow . Life is good .
SRD is cooking his AG for 30 minutes after it hits 190 degrees and then walking away until the next day when he uses low temp enzyme at 150 for another 30 minutes .
He's getting similar conversions and yields and got 3 mashes and 1 strip run from 1 25# propane bottle ' I got 1 1/2 mashes and 1 strip run from a bottle .
Think I need to change my mashing protocol .
Coalminer is still trying to find the time to get his last strip run finished so he can get a spirit run done .
I'm checking in for them because they are working long hours . I have 2-3 minute phone conversations with them and can keep y'all in touch with them because I'm the retired old fart and want to .

[HDNB]

' I got 1 1/2 mashes and 1 strip run from a bottle .
Think I need to change my mashing protocol .

Thanks for keeping us up to date!

My mash tun had a problem with the condensate trap, could only get the mash to 162F, i was using a finer grind on the corn than normal and not sure why i bothered with the HTL, since it was out of the temp range but did add SEBGL and malt when it cooled to 150... OG came in at 1062...same as the coarser grind i have been using, but cooking at 190F for 90 minutes+

in case that didn't make sense

old way- 300g/L coarser cracked corn, 90 minutes at a 190-200 temp = 1.062
new way- 300g/L finer grind corn meal, 90 minutes at 162 temp = 1.062

point being you could trade a finer grind for gas saving.

was going for a better number from the same grain weight, but the tun screwed up. got a new trap but have not run the finer grind at a full cook yet to find out if i can get a better OG. by calcs i'm only hitting about 75%, and sure there is more in there.

[Truckinbutch]

Yep . Seems like I'm getting into high 80's low 90's with the longer cooks and finer grinds . Is it economicly worth it ? I don't know . Going to have to still some of this and see if there is a difference .
Sure as hell fun to play with all of it .
Don't mind drinking any of it .

[Truckinbutch]

Finally got a day to myself to try to get some stillin done . Been so long that I got lot's of catchup to do such as steaming out a still that's sat idle too long . Had to take a break . Found out that there is more day than there is me . I'll get back with it in a bit .
Talk to y'all later this evening .

[Shine0n]

I wish I could find a day to myself. Lol

Just finished my build and doing cleaning runs today and sac next weekend.
AG for the next weekend!!!

[Truckinbutch]

FBI and prospective Hubby visiting for the weekend . Next week is running 2 corn , oats , malted 6 row ferments . Think I'm going to single run them and put them in the Gibbs barrel . Got one more run of that grain bill to use to replenish the Angel's Share in the barrel as needed .

[MichiganCornhusker]

Next week is running 2 corn , oats , malted 6 row ferments . Think I'm going to single run them and put them in the Gibbs barrel . Got one more run of that grain bill to use to replenish the Angel's Share in the barrel as needed .

Sounds like you found your AG groove for sure, TB! I'm looking forward to sampling your efforts this fall.

Seems like just yesterday that we was in your shed looking at that bucket of malted barley wondering what to do with it.

by MichiganCornhusker » Thu Dec 04, 2014 2:42 pm

I sure hope you can get that malted barley into a fermenter, Butch, and get that still back into service soon.

[Truckinbutch]

MCH ,
You have earned a free 'I Told You So' kick at my backside for me being so resistant to AG .
Hope you don't wait 'til fall to stop by . You're always welcome and you know the way .

[Truckinbutch]

Well , SRD finally got in contact . He ain't dead Workin himself into an early grave with 10-12/7 shifts . Such is life ...... When this passes he will have enough $ piled up to burn a wet mule and we can get back to fun stuff during his next layoff .

[Still Life]

MCH ,
You have earned a free 'I Told You So' kick at my backside for me being so resistant to AG .
Hope you don't wait 'til fall to stop by . You're always welcome and you know the way .

I'm surprised you were all-grain reluctant. You seem an otherwise butt kicking go-getter.
Once I got over my initial grain/process ignorance, I couldn't wait to tear into it.

[MichiganCornhusker]

I'm surprised you were all-grain reluctant.

No surprise here! AG, when taken seriously and with deliberation, can be pretty intimidating.
Anyone can throw a bunch of grains and enzymes (or not) in a pot of water and call their soup a mash, but that won't lead to great success unless they take the time to learn the important facets of AG mashing.
Learning ahead of time about mash temps, pH, conversion factors, gelatinization temps, straining, lautering, sparging, grinding, etc... It's a lot of unknowns for first time mashers.

That's why I think this thread can be so helpful and inspiring to people thinking about tackling AG.
There is much detail here showing a step by step adventure, going from zero to 100mph in a pretty short time, from performing a first corn mash to filling barrels with premium whiskey.
It's a real success story that anyone can achieve if they read up here and take the time to understand the fundamentals of AG before setting off on that journey.

[Truckinbutch]

Thanks for the accolades , MCH .
SRD showed up this evening . Looking pretty owl-eyed from the strain of long hours at work . Brought a jar of a caramel apple to share . He's added another member to the fold . Mrs SRD is doing strip runs for him to pick up the slack while he is working such long hours . Gotta love a gal like that .
Coalminer is headed my way in the morning with his first spirit run properly aired in numbered jars for a private blending party .
I'm going to start racking and straining the first COB AG tomorrow . I'm going to single run this for the new barrel .
Life is good .

[RedwoodHillBilly]

Butch, do you know the ratio of the grains in your COB. I've played with COB (cleaned out the pantry) but always looking to try something new. One of the mashes that I do is 70# steam rolled barley and 35# steam rolled corn. I'm thinking about adding oats to see if there is any extra smoothness in it. Just a thought, who know what I'll get, but easy to try.

[Truckinbutch]

60% corn , 20% oats , 20% 6 row malted barley .

[RedwoodHillBilly]

60% corn , 20% oats , 20% 6 row malted barley .

Thanks, I guess that you make your own. How do you like the addition of oats? Have you played with the oats ratio? Or is that just the initial try?

Edit:

Sorry, don't mean to hijack your thread. It sounds like you and I do our mashes/ferments/thumper runs that same way. I wouldn't mind continuing the conversation. We can do it in this thread, start another thread, or you can tell me to fuck off. No matter what I won't be offended, got a thick skin.

[Truckinbutch]

It's all knowledge . I never consider a thread I started hijacked .
These are my first COB Ag ferments so I can't tell you much yet .

[HDNB]

I do close to those % of grains a lot, it's my favorite. Cuts are (obviously) important, watch for the second jar of tails... it blends back nicely (first tails are bitter). also i find it really needs to air out a few days. you'll smell what i mean.
hope you enjoy it as much as i do.

[Truckinbutch]

I've got the technical skills and the patience . I just wish I had a palate and a nose .
As it is , I'm just a monkey trying to fuck a football . Sometimes when I poke it works . Other times ; not so much .

[bilgriss]

Between the monkeys and the avocados, I'm impressed that you get so much done. I'd love to have an equally colorful metaphor in response, but it ain't happening.

[Truckinbutch]

Talked with Jed last night . His advice was to strip those AG mashes and then spirit run them . Told me that he didn't want to come to my place to party and get served shit by the host .
I'm gonna run with that . He's never served me something that was not fit to drink .

[corene1]

I have mentioned this before on other threads but thought it might go here as well. On my AG mashes I really like to strip my mash down very low , 15% to 20 % and save it all excluding foreshots.I don't use the thumper on strips either. This will usually give me low wines in the 40% to 45% range. When I am ready to make my spirit run I will make 1 more mash and strip part of it and add to the low wines. When spirit run comes around I will cut my low wines with the fresh mash down to 20% and charge the boiler and put a small charge of it in the thumper using the exact same mix. I do this to keep the hearts cut a bit lower in ABV for oaking. It seems if I do my spirit run at 40% my hearts come through at about 84% If I do the same run at 20% ABV my hearts come out at about 74%. My thinking is that it will need to be cut less to get to oaking ABV therefore more flavor in the spirit Plus using the fresh mash to cut the low wines also brings more flavor into the hearts cut on the spirit run. Just something to think about.

[Swedish Pride]

+1 on going low on the strip.
when i ran the pot i collected down to combined was about 30%, that always gave me keeps at about 62%

[Truckinbutch]

Jed suggested the same thing to me .

[panikry83]

+1 on going low on the strip.
when i ran the pot i collected down to combined was about 30%, that always gave me keeps at about 62%

I have the exact same procedure, strip low til 30% or so, keeps off of the spirit run is generally 60-65

[Truckinbutch]

Bump . It's late and I'm tired . Got a lot of catch up to do . Just not tonight . Life is mostly good .

[Shine0n]

Get some rest tb, I've been patiently waiting for some life to this thread. Lol
Glad allz well on your end bubba

[Still Life]

Get some rest tb, I've been patiently waiting for some life to this thread. Lol
Glad allz well on your end bubba

Ditto.

[Truckinbutch]

Guess I was more tired than I thought to take this long to get back . Life got in the way as usual ........
SRD got by today . Offered to trade me a conical hopper attached to a Corona mill hopper that will hold about 20# of grain for my hopper and duct taped soda bottle extension that will hold about 5 quarts of grain . We tried it out on my mill and I traded him . Didn't even ask for boot .
Damn ! Started this post yesterday and then got innundated with company .
I had a lot more to share . I'll try to catch up tomorrow evening . This evening , I mean .

[Shine0n]

My cheap ass still hasn't gotten a mill and I'm too busy to build one, one day I guess!

TB, been Makin any good stuff lately? I've been so busy with all this funky rum to do an AG which reminds me I'm running low in the cabinet but have all the grains for a 45 gal mash. Hmm, think I'll stir up a batch this am for a stripper party next weekend.

That was a hella nap brother!

[Truckinbutch]

My cheap ass still hasn't gotten a mill and I'm too busy to build one, one day I guess!

TB, been Makin any good stuff lately? I've been so busy with all this funky rum to do an AG which reminds me I'm running low in the cabinet but have all the grains for a 45 gal mash. Hmm, think I'll stir up a batch this am for a stripper party next weekend.

That was a hella nap brother!

Corn , Oat , malted 6 row Barley was outstanding . Lovin this AG . Out of malted barley . Cooking the 3rd batch of Corn/Oat AG tomorrow . Hope to strip 3 batches of that and spirit run 2 before I have to shut down to ready for S3-17 .
Been crazy around here with weddings , funerals , and company since June 1 .
If I didn't get it done today ; it will be there for me tomorrow if I'm there to do it .
Late again and I'm tired . Get back when I can .